Question re DIN reg

[Hatul]

I just got a DIN reg for the first time (I went with Atomic ST1) and have no experience with this fitting. It came with an attached rubber dust cover that easily slips off and seems stupid, so I bought a screw-on Delrin cap that is supposed to make a waterproof seal. This cap comes with a little cord attached to it and I'm not sure what the purpose of the cord is. It can't be attached to reg as a lanyard or the cap can't be turned, so I'm assuming you take the cap off and leave it on land when you dive.

Also I got a male screw-in cap for the DIN valve on the tank. If anyone has ideas on how to use these well I'd appreciate the info.

Why is it that such an expensive reg comes with such an ineffective dust cap?

Adam

 

[Marek K]

I hope the delrin cap you got for the DIN regulator fitting is the type that has a hollow for the orifice itself, so that the o-ring can seal against the bottom of the cap.

You still shouldn't soak your first stage, but it'll keep water out if you just rinse it. Or I've always just covered the orifice with my thumb while swishing the reg, and then put on the cap. Your original rubber cap would work just as well for that.

It's obviously tougher to dry off the inside of the DIN cap than it is a yoke cap.

I'm assuming the cord is attached to the rim of the cap. Yes, if it's attached to your regulator -- like around one of the hoses -- you can still screw on the cap by flipping the cord repeatedly over top of the cap while you're doing it.

I don't own tanks, so can't help you there. However, that really should be more of a dust cap, since the inside threading won't be exposed to much damage and keeping water out of a closed valve shouldn't that much of an issue.

 

[TEArrington]

I've mostly seen an LDS just put tape across the DIN valves on a set of tanks once they are filled rather than messing with dust caps. My regs came with the screw on caps (I bought a pair of Apeks Tek3s).

 

[Stu S.]

The cord on the regulator cap is to tie the cap to the first stage. That is a bad idea. After a dive, the cap may contain saltwater and you'll put that in the first stage if you screw it on. I keep the clean cap in a dry place and screw it on the first stage when I'm done diving.

The tank plugs are for tanks that travel in the back of a truck, or stay on the boat. These keep dirt out, and are "kinda nice" to have. It is possible that a particle of dirt may get in the valve opening and forced through the valve and into the tank while it is filled.

It is the regulator first stage that really needs the protection.

 

[Marek K]

the cap may contain saltwater and you'll put that in the first stage if you screw it on.

The cap pretty much will contain seawater. :mooner:

When we had DIN regs, we towelled off the caps and/or dried them off with tank air before replacing them.

 

[Hatul]

Yes the center of the Delrin cap is recessed to allow the plastic to contact the O ring of the reg. I also checked by trying to breathe on the reg with the cap in place, and it seems to be sealed. The cap is this one:
http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-37/034041/Genesis-Din-Regulator-Dust-Cap.html

Are you saying the first stage should not be soaked because the seal with the cap can leak?

The cap can be turned by twisting the little cord, but you would have to start with the cord twisted in the opposite direction. In any case keeping the cap dry, off the reg when diving makes more sense, then I don't have to worry about water on the cap.

Should I remove the rubber dust cap that came with the reg or leave it alone? To remove it I either have to destroy it or undo the DIN connector with an Allen wrench, so my thinking is to leave it alone for now.

Adam

 

[redacted]

There is more than one way to screw a cap.

Hold the cap still and turn the din wheel.

 

[Akimbo]

I have a DIN to Yoke converter so I just screw that onto the regulator for storage. Of course, the yoke has a rubber plug.

 

[Marek K]

Are you saying the first stage should not be soaked because the seal with the cap can leak?

Just speaking for myself and the family... we only swished and didn't soak our first stages when they were DIN. And intend to do the same now that we've got yokes again. Are you going to trust any cap?

The cap can be turned by twisting the little cord, but you would have to start with the cord twisted in the opposite direction.

The idea is to tie one end of the cord to the cap, and the other end to the hose -- so that you only have one strand of cord to worry about:

In any case keeping the cap dry, off the reg when diving makes more sense, then I don't have to worry about water on the cap.

But then you have to worry about losing the rather small delrin cap.

Should I remove the rubber dust cap that came with the reg or leave it alone? To remove it I either have to destroy it or undo the DIN connector with an Allen wrench, so my thinking is to leave it alone for now.

Since you're gonna lose the delrin cap, I'd leave it.

But seriously, if you can change a hose, you can remove and replace a DIN fitting.

Hold the cap still and turn the din wheel.

Or, um, yeah, you could do that. Come to think of it, that's how we ended up doing ours.

 

[Hatul]

Thanks awap, I should have seen that you can just turn the wheel.

I see that Marek had removed the original rubber cap and replaced with the Delrin attached to the reg. If I were to remove the DIN fitting does anyone know the approx torque of the Allen screw in the Atomic reg?